By The Fountain
by imnotacommittee
Summary: A little girl is lost in the market place


**Disclaimer**: _The Sound of Music_ belongs to 20th Century Fox

**Rating**: G

**Gratitude**: to Ilandra and Jelpy. Ilandra, to whom I told of this idea pretty much the moment it had come to me (way back in, oh was it November?) and kept me from making it, well, she knows. And to Jelpy, who raised some valuable points about Maria's growth rate, among other things.  Thank you both!

**Comments**: This may or may not be in canon. It's up to you, really.

**Summary**: A little girl is lost in the market place.

**By The Fountain**

            Maria sighed in the sunlight soaking the Salzburg market place.  Such trips into town were rare, and she fully intended to make the most of it.  Her uncle had told her that she could have all afternoon to herself, and she half wondered if he wished she would get lost in the crowds so he wouldn't have to be burdened with her upbringing any longer.

            Patting the few coins in her apron pocket, she wondered where her small amount of saved money would be put to best use.  The market place had the finest strawberries of anyplace she knew of.  No matter what the time of year it was, the strawberries, and all of the fruit for that matter, were always ripe and delicious.  

On the other hand, Maria's boots were also in need of new laces.  When she had told her uncle, he had reprimanded her for not treating her belongings with enough respect and making them last longer.  Maria had held her tongue, refraining from commenting that she had had the same pair of boots, laces included, for a whole year, despite the tightness cramping her toes.  Maybe it was best if she spent her money at the cobbler's.  

Frowning at such a banal expense, Maria glanced over at the far end of the market place, and felt the corners of her mouth turn upward. Despite her earlier resolve to not do so, she found herself walking over to the dress maker's shop. She stood silently in front of the plethora of bolts of fabric, all just begging to be made into pretty dresses.  Maria glanced over her shoulder before tentatively raising her hand up to touch a silk, pale pink fabric that was so sheer, she could see right through it.

            "That would make the prettiest dress," she said to herself, taking a moment to imagine what the fabric would feel like on, and she smiled at the dainty image in her head.

            A shadow darkened her view and she whirled around to see an upper class lady walk by, a little smile on her face as their eyes met for a moment.  Maria stepped away from the pretty fabric before the owner caught her stalking around again.  She was half-tempted to offer her services as an apprentice.  She may only be fifteen, but she could sew very well and was eager to leave the cold world of her uncle's farm.

            The soft chiming of bells caught her attention, and she looked up at the red dome of Nonnburg Abbey.  Maria stood quiet for a moment, studying the building on the hill, and noted how a large oak tree was placed right next to the wall encasing what must have been a garden.

            _Maybe that's how the postulants escape_, Maria thought wryly as she regarded the tree.  She wondered what life would be like for the people who lived in the abbey.  Did they laugh? Did they sing? Would they allow a girl who was brought up disbelieving in God to enter into their world?  Her uncle would laugh at such thoughts; the nuns would never accept an atheist as one of their postulants. 

Maria set her chin and looked heavenward, a wave of indignation sweeping over her. Just because her uncle was an atheist, didn't mean she was.  She found it hard to believe that the loveliness of the world around them was simply created by nature.  Such beauty had to have been the work of some divinity.  She looked over at the nearby Collegiate Church and wondered what it was like inside.

            As she approached her eighteenth year and the freedom to live as she wanted, she grew more and more apprehensive as to where, exactly, she was meant to be.  The world was filled with possibilities for her; she just had to figure out which path she was meant to follow.  Wishing someone was there to help her, she cast another glance up at the sky and wondered if anyone was up there, listening to her inner thoughts.

            Maria felt her stomach rumble, and suddenly, she made her decision about how to spend her money.  Walking over to a table selling sandwiches, she paid for her lunch, with enough money left over for a couple of strawberries.  She ate the sandwich quickly and decided to wait a moment to buy her dessert.

            Sitting on the fountain's edge and enjoying the scenery, Maria didn't hear the soft crying at first.  After a moment, the fearful sobs grew louder, and Maria turned, startled, to see a little girl squatting at the corner of the fountain, unnoticed by all the passer-bys. 

            Maria shot up and walked over to the little girl, who was no more than three.  Her blonde pigtails were frayed and messy, and her face was smudged with dirt.  Her clothing, initially pristine and expensive, was torn and soiled after a full day of playing and exploring.  The child clutched a small doll, but it wasn't a baby doll or like the dolls Maria had seen other girls holding.  The object in the girl's hand looked like a miniature sailor.

            "Hello?" Maria said softly to the child. "Are you lost, sweetheart?"

            The little girl looked up sharply, and Maria noted the intense way she stared at her.  The two held each other's gaze for a long moment, both wondering what to do next.

            "I can help you," Maria said, returning to sit on the edge of the fountain. "I know all about this market place.  I bet your parents are looking for you."

            "Mother said to stay where you are when you're lost," the little girl announced.

            Maria laughed softly. "Do you get lost often?"

            The child pursed her lips and nodded, looking almost proud of the fact.  "Mother said to stay in the market place."

            "And you are doing just that, like a good little girl," Maria said, and patted a spot next to her. "They'll find you more easily if you're not hiding."

            The girl clutched her little sailor doll closer.

            Maria smiled and closed her eyes, inhaling the summer air. "It's lovely up here," she insisted.  Glancing at the girl again, she smiled in understanding. "Unless you're hiding on purpose."

            "I am _not_!" the girl retorted and leapt up from her spot, sitting next to Maria.  She smoothed her dress and sat with a refined posture, given her age.  Maria realized that the child was raised well, and rather affluently.  She studied the doll the girl was holding with such vigor.

            "I like your doll," she offered, gesturing to it.  The little girl clutched it tighter, remaining silent.  Maria smiled and extended her hand. "Forgive my manners. I'm Maria."

            The girl looked at the extended hand and up at Maria, as if wondering what her mother would tell her to do when meeting a stranger in the middle of the market place while lost. After a moment, she slapped Maria's hand playfully, laughing aloud.

            "oisa," she said, her laughter covering her name.

            Maria shook her head. "Oisa?" she repeated.

            The laughter died instantly, and the child inhaled sharply, clearly not fond of not being understood. "Luh-we-sah!" she said with deliberate slowness.

            "Oh!" Maria said, nodding. "Forgive me, Luh-we-sah.  I didn't hear you correctly the first time.  I am pleased to meet you.  How old are you?"

            Louisa narrowed her eyes, not sure how much information she should give to this strange older girl sitting on the fountain.

            "I'm fifteen," Maria offered.

            Louisa's mouth dropped open. "You're older than Liesl!"

            "Who is Liesl?"

            "My sister," Louisa explained. "She's six."

            "Is she nice?"

            "She's bossy," Louisa answered, bouncing her doll on her lap.

            Maria laughed. "You're lucky to have a sister," she told the girl. "I have no siblings."

            Louisa turned to stare at her. "None?"

            Maria shook her head. "No, it's just me and my uncle." 

            "Oh," the little girl said, looking at her doll again. "Who do you play with?"

            "I have some friends," Maria said, "but I'm usually too busy to play. We live on a farm."

            "With animals?" Louisa asked, brightening.

            Maria laughed.  "Yes, with horses and cows and chickens and pigs."

            "And cats?"

            "Yes, we have a lot of cats," Maria answered.

            "I like cats," Louisa said, smiling. "And snakes."

            "Snakes!" Maria exclaimed, putting her hand to her chest.

            "Yes, I like snakes," Louisa repeated. "Friedrich too."

            "Is he your brother?"

            The girl nodded. "He's four," she said.

            "Oh," Maria said and looked around the crowd, wondering where the girl's family was. "And how old are you?"

            Without her earlier reservation, the little girl flashed three fingers in the air.

            "You're a very smart three year old, Louisa," Maria told her.

            "Yes," the child agreed absently as she fussed with her doll's cap. 

            Maria sighed and patted her lap. The jingle of the remainder of her money surprised her; she had forgotten all about her strawberries.  "Are you hungry, Louisa?"

            The girl nodded vehemently.

            Smiling, Maria looked over at the table selling fresh fruit and vegetables. "Let's go get some strawberries!" she suggested, standing quickly and offering her hand.

            Louisa stared at it, and looked up at Maria, not budging from her spot.

            Understanding that Louisa didn't want to leave the fountain, Maria sighed, unsure as to what to do. "Well, I can go and get the strawberries and be back in five minutes. Do you _promise_ to stay here?"

            "Don't go!" Louisa cried and stood quickly.  Her chin was set firm, but Maria could see the fear in the child's eyes.

            She sighed again. "I can't stay here and get the strawberries at the same time, Louisa. The fruit stand is right over there," she said, pointing to the table. "We won't go very far from the fountain. I promise."

            Louisa stood silently, debating what to do. Clutching her doll close to her, she accepted Maria's hand. Together, they walked over to the produce table, and Maria felt the child's grasp tighten on her hand with every step.

            After they bought their dessert and returned to the fountain, Louisa looked up at her new friend and smiled. "Thank you," she said politely.

            Maria smiled. "You're very welcome. Strawberries taste much better when you're eating them with someone."

            Louisa didn't answer as she shoved a berry in her throat, getting her filthy face even dirtier.

            Maria laughed. "We'll have to wash our faces in the fountain before your parents find you!"

            They ate in friendly silence, and Maria exhaled slowly into the warm summer air.  The day had turned out quite differently than she had initially planned.  She decided that the serendipitous meeting with little Louisa was better than walking around alone, plotting how she was going to leave her uncle forever. From the moment she had seen the girl, she had completely forgotten about her uncle, the farm, and how much she disliked calling that place 'home.'  The chimes of the Abbey sounded again, and Maria looked up towards the noise, feeling a calmness surround her.

            The sound of light laughter brought her back to the moment.  She looked down to see Louisa's face completely covered in bright red smears.  She laughed.

            "You're a mess, Louisa!" she exclaimed.  She shifted so she could help the girl wash her face. "Lean forward into the water. Just to rinse your face off so your parents will be able to recognize you."

            Louisa tucked the little sailor doll between her legs and allowed Maria to hold her hair back as she dunked her face into the water, laughing gaily as she came back up for air. Amused, she repeated her dunking a few more times.

            "Alright, I think you're washed off enough, Louisa," Maria said, laughing with her.

            "You too!" the girl insisted, putting her hand on Maria's shoulder in an attempt to shove her guardian into the water.

            "If I must I must," Maria said and leaned into the fountain.  As she came back up, she flicked the girl with some water.  Louisa shrieked and hid from the tiny splashes.

            "Here, let me dry your face off," Maria said, taking her apron to the girl's face and gently wiping it dry.  

As she finished, she dropped her apron and saw Louisa smiling radiantly up at her. "I like you," the child told her.

            "Thank you," Maria said, feeling her cheeks flush. "And I like you too."

            The pair fell into an easy silence.  Louisa clutched her doll to her again, looking anxiously around the market place.

            "I'm sure your parents will be here soon," Maria said, catching the worried look on the girl's face.

            Louisa hugged her doll tighter.

            "What's your doll's name?" Maria asked, trying to distract the child.

            "Otto," Louisa answered.

            Maria smiled. "He looks like an Otto."

            Louisa laughed. "Papa named him," she said.

            "I see," Maria said, turning so the sun wasn't in her eyes.

            Louisa looked at her Otto for a moment, as if debating something. After a moment, she handed him up for Maria to hold.

            "Oh, he'd be safer with you, Louisa!" Maria said, flattered that the girl trusted her so much.

            Louisa remained silent, holding up her doll and practically commanding Maria hold him.  Obeying, Maria took Otto from Louisa and studied him carefully.  He was faded and a little tattered, a clear sign of his owner's strong devotion to him. Never owning a doll herself, Maria found herself fascinated at how a child could form such a strong attachment to such a small object.

            Maria and Louisa continued to sit by the fountain, playing with Otto and not noticing the passing of time.  They were enjoying themselves so much, the rest of the market place seemed to fade away.

Maria was asking Louisa about various animals she liked when a voice shouted so loudly, they both jumped.

            "There you are!" 

Maria looked up and saw her uncle walking up to them.

            "Where have you been, Maria?" he asked, irritated. "I told you to be at the Mozart statue at four o'clock."

            "What time is it now?" Maria asked.

            He narrowed his eyes. "Five."

            "I'm sorry," Maria said quickly and looked down at Louisa. The girl stared up at the man, her initial distrust returning to her eyes as she held Otto in one hand and Maria's skirt in the other.  "I just was keeping this little girl company while her parents –"

            "Don't give me excuses, Maria," he uncle snapped, anger making his cheeks darker.  "I told you to meet me at four and you disobeyed me!  This is the last time I'm going to let you –"

            "I couldn't very well leave the little girl all alone!" Maria retorted. "Just because you think of nothing but yourself doesn't mean everyone else does!"

            Her uncle grabbed her wrist, causing Louisa to gasp.  Ignoring the pain in her arm, Maria glanced backwards at the little girl, upset that she had to witness the scene.  She tried to yank her wrist free, but her uncle held it tighter.  Looking around the courtyard, she was surprised to see it practically empty.

            "You would do well to remember to respect your elders, Maria Rainer," her uncle snarled.  "Especially those who took you in when no one else wanted you."

            Anger flushed Maria's cheeks. "I'd rather be raised by gypsies than you," she retorted.

            "You ungrateful little brat!" he said lowly. "You can forget about ever coming back here again. You won't leave the farm for the rest of –"

            "Mother!" Louisa's shout surprised them both.  

Maria snapped her head around to see the child's fear melt away instantly as she ran past her and her uncle.  Following the little girl with her eyes, Maria saw her approach the most regal and beautiful woman she had ever seen.  Louisa's mother was tall and graceful, despite the well defined roundness of her belly.  Her hair was perfectly coiffed and she seemed to have a perfect complexion. Maria's assumption that Louisa was from the upper class was confirmed as she studied her mother; the woman wore an elegant but practical dress which seemed to drape around her as if she was born in it.

            But it was the expression on her face that struck Maria the most.  The lady's eyes were bright with relieved tears, and her smile seemed to reflect a light from within her soul.  As gracefully as she could manage, the woman stooped down and hugged her little girl closely to her.  Next to her was a little girl slightly taller than Louisa, with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes.

            _Liesl_, Maria thought with a smile.  The little girl was proudly pushing a baby carriage. Maria stretched her neck to see a baby, no more than a year old, happily eating a pretzel inside.  _No wonder Louisa was surprised that I am an only child_, she thought with a wry smile. _She has more siblings than anyone I have ever seen!_

            Maria's uncle released her wrist as he, too, stared at the elegant woman.  He took a step back from his niece and remained silent.

            "Oh, thank God, Louisa!" the woman exclaimed, wiping some fly-away hair from her child's face. "We have been looking everywhere! You scared us to death!"

            "She's always running off," Liesl announced, a note of disapproval in her voice.

            "I wanted to see the fountain!" Louisa protested.

            "Oh, darling," her mother soothed, standing straight and wrapping her arm around her.  "You know you should ask your father or me if you can look at something! What if something had happened to you?"

            Louisa didn't look too contrite.  She pointed to Maria. "Maria stayed with me," she said.

            For the first time, Louisa's mother looked at her daughter's temporary guardian.  Their eyes met, and Maria felt the urge to stand up straighter.  She offered a small smile and lowered her head, feeling as if she was standing in front of the Chancellor himself.  The woman walked over to her and smiled, kindness in her eyes.

            "My dear," she said and took Maria's hands in hers. "I cannot thank you enough for watching over my child."

            "Oh, I, uh, couldn't let her be alone," Maria stammered.  The gentleness in the woman's voice was not something she was used to.  Maria felt instantly at ease with this woman, as if she was the most approachable person in the world.

            "It was very kind of you to sacrifice your day for a stranger," the woman said.

            "We ate strawberries!" Louisa continued.  Her mother laughed and glanced over at the little girl.

            "I hope you don't mind, ma'am," Maria said quickly. "I had some money, and I just love the strawberries here, and –"

            "Let me repay you," the woman said and reached down to her purse.  "For your troubles."

            "Oh, no!" Maria insisted, feeling her uncle's silent eyes boring into her, telling her not to refuse the money.  Ignoring him, she put her hand on the lady's arm and shook her head. "It was my pleasure to spend the afternoon with Louisa. She's a wonderful little girl."

            The woman met her gaze again and nodded. "She has too much of her father's wanderlust," she said, giving her daughter a sidelong glance.

            The lady looked over at Maria's uncle, and Maria noted the kindness dim in her eyes. "Your daughter is very special."

            "I'm not his daughter"

            "She's not my daughter."

            The woman looked at Maria and back to her uncle again. "In any case, I'm very grateful for a person who would put someone else's needs before her own," she continued.  She took Maria's hands in hers again, and stared a little longer at the bright red blotches on Maria's wrist.  She looked back up at Maria's uncle. "Every child is a blessing to be cherished."

            Her uncle's eyes darkened but he bowed his head politely.  The trio stood silently for a moment, and Maria could feel the compassion of Louisa's mother as strongly as she could feel her uncle's indignant anger.

            "There's Father!" she heard Liesl announce.  They all turned to see Louisa running towards a man approaching them. Maria squinted into the glare of the sun and saw Louisa being lifted off the ground, her happy cries mixing with her father's laughter. 

            Louisa's mother smiled at the sight before turning again to look at Maria and her uncle. Maria could see the concern on her face, and she suddenly felt as if she had to assure the woman that she would be alright.

            "It was nice to meet Louisa and Otto," she said, smiling. "I hope she doesn't get lost again."

            Understanding in her eyes, Louisa's mother nodded, the soft smile remaining on her face.  She leaned over and kissed Maria's cheek. "You take care, Maria," she said. "God is watching over you."

            Maria's smile widened. "Yes, He is," she said, feeling her uncle's scowl deepen.  The lady looked at her uncle in the eyes again, before turning and putting one hand to push the stroller and the other to guide Liesl to where the rest of their family was waiting.

            Maria watched them retreat, noticing another little boy standing next to his father.  She saw the man hunch over and swing Louisa onto his shoulders, leading the group away from Maria and her uncle.

            After a moment, her uncle turned to her. She smiled at him, feeling warmed by the happy sight that they had just witnessed.

            He didn't return the gesture.  Scowling, he looked down at her wrist, a slight flash of remorse coming into his eyes for a moment.  It vanished quickly, only to be replaced with a smirk. "Yeah, you're a _real_ blessing," he said, and Maria's smile disappeared. He cocked his head for her to follow. "Let's get out of here."

            Maria cast another glance to the spot where Louisa and her happy family once stood, and felt her heart tighten with sadness and just a little bit of envy.  She quickly shoved the emotion from her mind; she could be a lot worse off. At least with her uncle, she had a roof over her head and food to eat every night. 

The sound of the Abbey chimes sounded again, and she remembered the tree she had wanted to climb.  She knew her uncle would soon forget his threat to forbid her from ever going back to the Salzburg market place.  She had lost track of all the times he had banned her from the place in the past. The next time she came into town, she vowed she would climb that tree and see what was hiding behind that wall.

Maybe she could find the happiness that surrounded Louisa and her family. Maybe she could have a family that would love her unconditionally.  She could finally find where she belonged in the world.

With a bounce to her step that went unnoticed by her uncle, she followed him back to their farm.

Fin

**A/N**:  Jelpy had pointed out a slight deviation from the movie in this story. Maria stated in the movie that she had climbed down the mountain, climbed the tree, looked over the wall, and watched the sisters sing on their way to Vespers. I changed that perception to Maria pondering what life would be like in the Abbey as she sees it in the market place. My reason being the mountain she climbed down is about five miles from Salzburg, and Nonnberg Abbey itself is on a hill in the center of town. So, I'm kind of righting that little flaw in the movie here. Either that, or I'm taking liberties, which I fully admit to right here. Just doing some c.m.a.


End file.
